Tuesday, February 21, 2012

A few months ago I received an email from a member of Intel's Interaction and Experience Research Lab inquiring about my wings. He said he had seen them at World Maker Faire 2012 and wanted me to be a part of an exhibition being put together about artists at the nexus of design and fiction.

"Powered by Fiction: Artists, Makers, Tinkerers and the Backstories that Inspire Them to Create, presented by Intel", will feature my work and the works of two other groups as part of an exhibition developed in tandem with the 2012 Emerge conference. The conference will be held from March 1-3rd at Arizona State University, but the exhibition will be open for another two weeks. More info on the conference can be found here: http://emerge.asu.edu/

There isn't much information available on it right now, but I'll post pictures about it when Intel flies me down to visit next week!

Side note:
As part of the exhibition, Intel hired a team of professional comic book artists to illustrate fictional backstories for each of the exhibitors. Here is the story board they sent me along with the script for the comic. Not going to lie, I'm pretty excited to have my own comic book!

PAGE ONE

PANEL ONE

Exterior establishing shot of a comic book store in New York.

Caption: Adiel Fernandez and his brother didn't know it yet, but their decision to visit the comic book shop that day would prove fateful.

PANEL TWO

Adiel and his brother Daniel inside the store, looking at a comic book together.

Caption: His brother's suggestion ignites a spark of inspiration, but Adiel's ambitions aim higher than cosplay.

PANEL TWO

At home, Adiel tinkers with circuitry. Behind him, we see the half-built wings in the background.

Adiel (thinking): The new alloy I developed is so lightweight, I bet I can do more than win the costume contest.

PANEL THREE

Close-up of his servo gloves.

Caption: For weeks, Adiel works into the wee hours every night, until—

PANEL FOUR

Still in his apartment, Adiel tries on the wings.

Adiel: A perfect fit! Now to test them.

PAGE THREE

PANEL ONE

Up on the roof of his building, Adiel spreads his wings.

Adiel (thinking): Hmm... What if the wings don't work? Maybe I should start closer to the ground.

PANEL TWO

Adiel looks as if he's being dragged toward the roof's edge by his wings.

Adiel: What the—?! I can't control them!

PANEL THREE

Adiel flies up into the sky.

Adiel 1: It works! I CAN FLY!!

Adiel 2: Wheeeeee!!!

PAGE FOUR

PANEL ONE

Adiel soars through the clouds.

Adiel: Strange... I feel compelled to fly higher and faster. And what's that vibration in my wings?

PANEL TWO

High in the clouds, Adiel sees a futuristic city in the sky.

Caption: Suddenly, a floating city appears, as if out of nowhere.

Adiel (thinking): Where did that come from? I can't turn away—I'm being pulled toward it!

PANEL THREE

Adiel comes in for a landing at the sky city.

Adiel (thinking): At least they seem friendly.

Sky person: Welcome, wingmaker!

PAGE FIVE

PANEL ONE

Long shot. In the sky city, Adiel meets a group of its residents and learns their story.

Sky person 1: We are a peaceful people who solved the mysteries of flight long ago. We left behind the ground-dwelling barbarians and built this city on a parallel plane, invisible to most of your kind.

Sky person 2: Your wings, made of the same material we use, achieved a sympathetic frequency that drew you here.

Adiel: Remarkable!

PANEL TWO

Closer shot as the sky people explain their dilemma to Adiel.

Sky person 1: If other ground-dwellers discover our existence, it will mean the inevitable end of our world.

Sky person 2: Will you help safeguard our secret, and the secret of your wings? In return, all our science is yours for the learning.

PAGE SIX

PANEL ONE (SPLASH)

Adiel stands/floats heroically among the clouds, with the sky city in the background.

Adiel: You have my word. So long as I draw breath, no harm shall befall you.

Caption: And so it was that he became Adiel Angel, pledged to protect Sky City from discovery by his Earth-bound brethren!